Biomarkers
Blood biomarkers index and tracking guides
Blood biomarkers are measurable molecules found in the bloodstream that show how organs and physiological systems are functioning. These biomarkers include enzymes, proteins, hormones, lipids, electrolytes, and metabolic byproducts.
Most blood tests include dozens of biomarkers that reflect different physiological systems. Because blood circulates through the entire body, blood biomarker measurements offer a practical window into metabolism, inflammation, endocrine signaling, and organ function.
This index groups common blood biomarkers by physiological system and links to deeper guides explaining how to track and interpret them over time.
Start with these core guides
- Important blood biomarkers to track first
Learn how to prioritize a focused biomarker set before expanding your dashboard.
- How to track lab results over time
Use a repeatable workflow to store, compare, and interpret lab trends across years.
Jump to category
Complete blood biomarker index
This index organizes common biomarkers by type so you can scan quickly, understand what each marker generally reflects, and navigate to deeper pages for marker-specific tracking guidance.
⚡Metabolic biomarkers
Markers that show glucose regulation, insulin dynamics, and metabolic flexibility over time.
- Glucose - Core blood glucose snapshot marker from routine testing.
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) - Average glucose exposure over the previous 2-3 months.
- Fasting glucose - Baseline blood glucose after an overnight fast.
- Fasting insulin - Insulin signaling context for glucose interpretation.
- C-peptide - Pancreatic insulin production context marker.
- Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) - Calculated index of insulin resistance from fasting glucose and insulin.
- Lactate - Anaerobic metabolism and tissue-demand context marker.
- Ketones (beta-hydroxybutyrate) - Fuel-switching and ketosis context marker.
🫀Cardiovascular and lipid biomarkers
Markers used to monitor lipid transport, vascular pressure, and long-horizon cardiovascular risk context.
- LDL cholesterol - Core lipid marker used in trend review.
- HDL cholesterol - Protective lipid context in full panels.
- Triglycerides - Metabolic and dietary lipid context.
- Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) - Atherogenic particle burden context marker.
- Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) - Protective apolipoprotein context marker often paired with ApoB.
- Lipoprotein(a) - Genetically influenced cardiovascular risk marker.
- Non-HDL cholesterol - Broad atherogenic cholesterol burden estimate.
- Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) - Vascular inflammation and plaque-activity context marker.
- Homocysteine - Cardiometabolic and vascular risk context biomarker.
🩸Iron and hematology biomarkers
Markers that describe iron reserves, oxygen transport, blood-cell quality, and immune activity context.
- Ferritin - Stored iron reserve signal.
- Hemoglobin - Oxygen-carrying blood context.
- Hematocrit - Red cell volume percentage in whole blood.
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) - Red-cell size variability and production-stability marker.
- White blood cell count (WBC) - Immune activity and regulation context marker.
- Neutrophils - First-line innate immune response marker in CBC differential context.
- Lymphocytes - Adaptive immune memory and response-balance marker in CBC differential context.
- Monocytes - Post-response cleanup and immune-resolution timing marker in CBC differential context.
- Eosinophils - Recurring allergic and hypersensitivity reactivity marker in CBC differential context.
- Serum iron - Circulating iron level context marker.
- Transferrin - Iron transport protein concentration marker.
- Transferrin saturation - Iron transport utilization context.
- Red blood cell count (RBC) - Total red cell count for hematology context.
- Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) - Average red blood cell size marker.
- Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) - Average hemoglobin amount per red blood cell.
🧬Liver function biomarkers
Enzyme markers that provide context on liver stress, biliary patterns, and metabolic load.
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) - Hepatocellular stress and injury context marker.
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) - Liver and broader tissue-stress context marker.
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) - Biliary and bone-turnover context marker.
- Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) - Liver-load and biliary-pattern context marker.
- Bilirubin (total) - Overall bilirubin handling and clearance context.
- Bilirubin (direct) - Conjugated bilirubin fraction in liver-biliary review.
- Albumin - Protein synthesis and liver function context marker.
- Total protein - Combined serum protein concentration context marker.
🫧Kidney function biomarkers
Markers that help track filtration efficiency, renal clearance, and kidney-related trend changes.
- Creatinine - Core filtration-related blood marker.
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) - Creatinine-derived filtration trend metric.
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) - Additional renal function and hydration context marker.
- Cystatin C - Alternative filtration marker used with creatinine context.
- Uric acid - Renal excretion and metabolic load context marker.
- Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) - Urinary albumin leakage and kidney-damage context marker.
🧠Hormonal biomarkers
Markers used to review endocrine signaling across thyroid, stress, adrenal, and reproductive systems.
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) - Primary thyroid regulation marker.
- Free thyroxine (Free T4) - Thyroid hormone availability context.
- Free triiodothyronine (Free T3) - Active thyroid hormone context marker.
- Testosterone - Reproductive and metabolic endocrine context.
- Estradiol - Sex hormone signaling context marker.
- Progesterone - Reproductive hormone cycle context marker.
- Cortisol - Stress-response hormone context marker.
- Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) - Adrenal androgen precursor context marker.
- Prolactin - Pituitary hormone regulation context marker.
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) - Gonadal signaling and pituitary-axis context marker.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) - Reproductive-axis regulation context marker.
- Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) - Sex-hormone transport and free-fraction context marker.
🔥Inflammation biomarkers
Markers used for systemic inflammatory context in broader interpretation workflows.
- High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) - High-sensitivity inflammation trend marker.
- C-reactive protein (CRP) - General inflammation marker used in acute context.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - General inflammatory activity context marker.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) - Inflammatory cytokine signaling marker.
- TNF-alpha - Pro-inflammatory cytokine activity context marker.
☀️Vitamin biomarkers
Markers that reflect vitamin status, utilization quality, and common deficiency patterns over time.
- Vitamin D - Seasonal and supplementation-sensitive marker.
- Vitamin B12 - Neurologic and hematologic nutrient context.
- Folate - Cellular synthesis and blood context marker.
- Vitamin A - Fat-soluble vitamin status context marker.
- Vitamin E - Antioxidant vitamin status context marker.
- Vitamin K - Coagulation-related vitamin context marker.
- Vitamin C - Water-soluble antioxidant vitamin context marker.
💧Electrolyte biomarkers
Markers that support interpretation of hydration status, nerve signaling, and fluid balance.
- Sodium - Core fluid balance electrolyte marker.
- Potassium - Cardiac and neuromuscular electrolyte marker.
- Calcium - Bone, nerve, and signaling context marker.
- Magnesium - Neuromuscular and metabolic electrolyte context marker.
- Chloride - Acid-base and fluid balance electrolyte marker.
- Bicarbonate - Acid-base buffering context marker.
- Phosphate - Cellular energy and mineral balance context marker.
🎯Cancer-related blood biomarkers
Markers typically used for monitoring known oncologic conditions, not broad screening.
- PSA - Prostate-related monitoring marker.
- CA-125 - Condition-specific monitoring context marker.
- CEA - General oncology monitoring context marker.
- CA 19-9 - Condition-specific cancer monitoring context marker.
- AFP - Alpha-fetoprotein monitoring context marker.
- Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) - Condition-specific trophoblastic and germ-cell context marker.
Blood biomarkers are typically measured during routine blood tests such as metabolic panels, lipid panels, and complete blood counts.
While individual biomarkers provide useful information, the most meaningful insights often come from reviewing patterns across multiple markers and repeated tests.
Use this index to explore different biomarker categories and learn how to track them over time.
Ready to build your biomarker timeline?
Keep all reports in one place, follow marker trends over time, and review your biomarker history before appointments with a clean, structured timeline.